Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), 9 April 2012


EFITA newsletter / 560 - European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


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Contact: Guy WAKSMAN
E-mail: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net

Open Data
Thanks for all your work in the Efita newsletter. Great to see the passion.
I have a request. I noticed that the French government opened up their 'registre parcellaire':
See: http://carto.quiedeville.org/datagouv/rpg/
See: http://www.data.gouv.fr/donnees/view/Registre-Parcellaire-Graphique-%3A-contours-des-%C3%AElots-culturaux-et-leur-groupe-de-cultures-majoritaire-20377841?xtmc=utilisation+des+terres&xtcr=4
I think this is great news for the newsletter. It is a good example of 'open data' in France. Open Data has a lot of attention, at least at EU level (see the 'Digital Agenda' by commissioner Kroes).
The register is about 2010, but I guess in the near future the information will be more actual.
In the Netherlands the debate about opening up the register geometrics, is still going on. I am curious if in France this information is being reused by researchers or agricultural companies and what they do with it. And of course i would like to know if this data is open in more EU member states. Readers of the newsletter could mail me at r.p.m.de.louw(a)mineleni.nl or on Twitter @Ramon1974
Thanks in advance,
Contact: Ramon DE LOUW
E-mail: r.p.m.de.louw(a)mineleni.nl


My answer (GW): You could usefully contact Anne COYNE and Philippe CROS for precisions (anne.coyne(a)agriculture.gouv.fr, philippe.cros(a)agriculture.gouv.fr).


FOSS4G-CEE (Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial in Central and East Europe) & Geoinformatics Conference
21 – 23 May - PRAGUE
See: http://foss4g-cee.org/registration/


PURE Modelling workshop
8 June - PARIS
The main objective of this workshop will be to present methodological advances with regards to the modelling for ex-ante and ex post assessment of IPM solutions, ecological modelling, multiple pest modelling, and optimisation techniques. The presented case studies will include major crops (cropping systems based on wheat or maize), field vegetables, orchards, vineyard and Controlled Environment Agriculture systems.

- Introduction (Françoise Lescourret, INRA ; Wil Hennen DLO ; Jean-Noël Aubertot INRA)

>>> Modelling for ex-ante and ex post assessment of IPM solutions
- DEXIPM, a multi-criteria model for sustainability assessment of innovative crop protection strategies (Gabriele Fortino, INRA)
- Pest Risk Evaluation Model by Integrating Stage Effects (PREMISE), a model for ex-ante evaluation of IPM solutions in orchards (Wil Hennen, DLO)
- SYNOPS, scaling up ex-post pesticide risk assessments at the individual crop level to the farm and regional levels (Jörn Strassemeyer, JKI)

>>> UNISIM, a software package for collaborative ecological modelling (Niels Holst, AU)

>>> Multiple pest modelling
- XPEST: an interactive generic modeling platform to help design models that simulate yield losses caused by an injury profile in a given production situation (Jean-Noël Aubertot, INRA)
- Modelling to optimise the interactions between generalist biological control agents and multiple pests (Ludovic Mailleret, INRA)
- EPIWHEAT: an epidemiological model for diseases on wheat (Serge Savary, INRA)

>>> Optimisation techniques
- Reinforcement learning for IPM (Ronan Trépos, INRA)
- Multiobjective optimisation algorithms for model-based design of IPM solutions (Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Sidi, INRA)
-: Optimisation of sequential decisions under uncertainty in a spatial context (Jean-Noël Aubertot, Nathalie Peyrard and Régis Sabbadin, INRA)

>>> Conclusion (Wil Hennen, Jean-Noël Aubertot)
See: http://www.pure-ipm.eu/
Contact before April 15th for registration: Vincent CELLIER
E-mail: vincent.cellier(a)epoisses.inra.fr.


Smart AgriMatics conference
13 - 14 June, PARIS
We are pleased to invite you to our next joint conference, Smart AgriMatics 2012, organised by 3 projects funded by the EU 7th Framework Programme:
> agriXchange
http://www.agrixchange.eu
> ICT-AGRI ERA-NET
http://db-ictagri.eu/ict-agri/content/home.php
> and SmartAgriFood
http://www.smartagrifood.eu

The conference is to be held on 13-14 June 2012, in Paris (Hotel Forest Hill La Villette). The main theme of the conference is the future use of ICT and robotics in agriculture and food business, covering the following topics:
* Smart Farming and Precision Agriculture
* Farm Management in the 'cloud'
* Smart Crop Protection
* Robotic and automation solutions
* Future Internet service infrastructure
* Smart Agri-Logistics in Horticulture
* Value Chain Analysis
* Supply Chain Event Management
* Smart Food Awareness and Transparency
* Standardisation and Interoperability
* Information and data exchange in agri-food
* Semantic Web and Ontologies in agri-food
* Animal Registration and Identification
* European strategy for ICT in agri-food

The preliminary program is now available and will be finalised soon. We have opened development pages for the sessions at the agriXchange plate-form, where you can give your input to the leaders of the sessions, and so help create good contents at the conference.
See: http://smartagrimatics.eu/ConferenceInformation/Program.aspx


Information and registration are already available at: http://www.smartagrimatics.eu/
Please note that early bird registration fees are offered only until April 30th, 2012. We encourage you all to register as soon as possible!

You can also provide us with your incentives or needs by adding some post on our
> LinkedIn group
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/SmartAgriMatics-4385923
> Twitter
https://twitter.com/#!/SmartAgriMatics> or
> Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/search/results.php?q=smartagrimatics&
init=quick&tas=0.9781195527304827&__adt=5&__att=iframe#!/events/269063113180916/

Contact: Sjaak WOLFERT, A. DE SMET
E-mail: sjaak.wolfert(a)wur.nl, annelise.desmet(a)wur.nl


Interesting report from the Opportunities for Data Exchange (ODE)
See: http://www.ode-project.eu


Water Quality and Agriculture: Meeting the Policy Challenge (OECD policy report)
The report contains a number of case studies on agriculture and water pollution at the regional (European Union, the Baltic Sea) and national (France, UK, and Australia) levels as well as in specific areas (Lake Taupo, New Zealand and Chesapeake Bay, United States). In addition, the report is supported by four background reports, which you can download from the above link as follows:
- Agriculture and Water Quality: Monetary Costs and Benefits across OECD countries
- Water Quality Trading in Agriculture
- New and Emerging Water Pollution arising from Agriculture
- Agriculture’s Impact on Aquaculture: Hypoxia and Eutrophication in Marine Waters
See: http://www.oecd.org/document/31/0,3746,en_2649_37401_49834719_1_1_1_37401,00.html
See: http://www.oecd.org/agriculture/water
Contact: Kevin PARRIS
E-mail: kevin.parris(a)oecd.org


Speedy woman (already told… but so nice)

Woman: Is there a problem, Officer?

Officer: Ma'am, you were speeding.

Woman: Oh, I see.

Officer: Can I see your license please?

Woman: I'd give it to you but I don't have one.

Officer: Don't have one?

Woman: Lost it 4 times for drunk driving.

Officer: I see...Can I see your vehicle registration papers please.

Woman: I can't do that.

Officer: Why not?

Woman: I stole this car.

Officer: Stole it?

Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.

Officer: You what?

Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want to see.

The Officer looks at the woman, slowly backs away to his car, and calls for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.

Officer 2: Ma'am, could you step out of your vehicle please!

The woman steps out of her vehicle.

Woman: Is there a problem sir?

Officer 2: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner.

Woman: Murdered the owner?

Officer 2: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please.

The woman opens the trunk, revealing nothing but an empty trunk.

Officer 2: Is this your car, ma'am?

Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers.

The first officer is stunned.

Officer 2: One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving license.

The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a clutch purse and hands it to the officer. The officer snaps open the clutch purse and examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.

Officer 2: Thank you ma'am, one of my officers told me you didn't have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner.

Woman: Betcha the lying bastard told you I was speeding too.


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